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Manufacturing CEOs’ year-ahead outlook fell to its lowest reading of 2026 in November and most of the drop came before midterm results were known. CEOs expect conditions to hold more than to worsen, and 2027 plans still point to grow.
Even as CEOs’ overall read on business conditions sours, Chief Executive’s November survey finds a silver lining in the midterms, with some seeing an opportunity to get back to business. ‘Things should start moving again.’
Facing unprecedented challenges, companies are favoring directors with proven leadership experience. A few questions boards should be answering now.
How I turned a trampoline park nobody would finance into a multi-brand youth enrichment platform—and what I learned about leading at scale.
Private-company bonuses rise sharply with profitability. But new compensation data raises a bigger question for CEOs: Are you rewarding your senior leaders for the performance that matters most?
As chairman and CEO of one of the largest financial institutions in the country, Bruce Van Saun attributes his success to a developmental model that relies on both trust and accountability.
Facing unprecedented challenges, companies are favoring directors with proven leadership experience. A few questions boards should be answering now.
How I turned a trampoline park nobody would finance into a multi-brand youth enrichment platform—and what I learned about leading at scale.
Private-company bonuses rise sharply with profitability. But new compensation data raises a bigger question for CEOs: Are you rewarding your senior leaders for the performance that matters most?
As chairman and CEO of one of the largest financial institutions in the country, Bruce Van Saun attributes his success to a developmental model that relies on both trust and accountability.
‘Leadership isn’t about having all the answers,’ says Gogo CEO Chris Moore. ‘It’s about making decisions people can continue to trust, especially when circumstances aren’t entirely within your control.’
Certain organizational capabilities are like good tires on slippery roads: They don’t stop the snow from falling, but they do substantially improve the odds of arriving.
Manufacturing CEOs’ year-ahead outlook fell to its lowest reading of 2026 in November and most of the drop came before midterm results were known. CEOs expect conditions to hold more than to worsen, and 2027 plans still point to grow.
Separating engineering from the factory floor comes with hidden costs. Angel Aerial Systems CEO Will Hasting makes the case for keeping both under one roof.
A shared component may create efficiency, but it also concentrates risk. Can your organization detect, contain and respond before a defect becomes large-scale litigation?
Manufacturers rated current conditions higher in October than in any month this year, even as hiring plans fell and a severe recession reappeared in their forecasts. Most of the optimism now sits in 2027. “Feels like walking on ice right now even though business continues to be good.”
A recurring market update from Intrepid Investment Bankers highlighting transaction activity, valuation trends and capital markets developments affecting middle-market companies.
Sioux Honey Association president and CEO shares insights into the co-op model and how it has kept momentum for a century.
How I turned a trampoline park nobody would finance into a multi-brand youth enrichment platform—and what I learned about leading at scale.
Virginia is turning workforce development into an economic development advantage with innovative training pipelines.
The discipline that saves companies in distress can also drive stronger performance in healthy ones.
JAG Physical Therapy CEO John Gallucci Jr. shares how he grew from one clinic to 185-plus without losing the personal touch, and why he grows leaders as deliberately as locations.
The right executive can transform a business. But attracting and keeping the talent that takes you to the next level may require rethinking how—and how much—you pay.
Record CEO turnover and an AI transition that most companies are failing to profit from send a clear signal: The job of leading and governing an enterprise has fundamentally changed. Here is what leaders must do to change with it.
Equity awards that win competitive hires are the same awards that create earnings headwinds.
JAG Physical Therapy CEO John Gallucci Jr. shares how he grew from one clinic to 185-plus without losing the personal touch, and why he grows leaders as deliberately as locations.
The British men’s rowing victory was not the product of one breakthrough. It was the compound effect of hundreds of aligned choices. Some takeaways for leaders.
Being tough doesn’t mean being cruel. It means knowing how to balance respect with directness—and having the courage to do both at the same time.
As AI reshapes jobs and workflows, CEOs need a better way to talk with employees about changing roles, new skills and what comes next.
In a time of AI-assisted phantom fits and miscast hires, organizations need to bring back the personal touch.
Certain organizational capabilities are like good tires on slippery roads: They don’t stop the snow from falling, but they do substantially improve the odds of arriving.
As AI becomes faster and more capable, more teams are at risk of losing the one thing AI can’t replicate: curiosity. Here’s CEOs can rebuild the conditions for genuine human thinking.
Plenty of leaders have delegated AI. Very, very few have figured out what it can do for their own thinking. ‘When you give them something really simple that is also significant, the behavior changes very fast.’
Record CEO turnover and an AI transition that most companies are failing to profit from send a clear signal: The job of leading and governing an enterprise has fundamentally changed. Here is what leaders must do to change with it.
AI literacy programs for leaders are largely exercises in branding rather than learning.
Tensordyne CEO Marc Bolitho says logarithmic math can cut AI’s energy bill by 75 percent, and that winning over cautious data center operators takes more than better technology.
The number of neurons in the brain, and thus cognitive function, naturally declines as we get older. But certain activities and experiences can help keep the brain adaptable. Here’s what to know.
Check what you think you know about alcohol against what the research really says.
It’s an understandable goal to want to live as long a life as possible. But living longer may not be the same as living well. Here’s how to shift the focus.
The doctor running Mayo Clinic’s world-renowned Executive Health program on what’s really essential when it comes to preserving CEO healthspans. “Very few are doing those things right.”
From memory, creativity and cognition gains to powerful stress relief, there’s a lot to like—medically—about the great outdoors.
Left unchecked, it can lead to a host of chronic diseases. But there are ways to fight back.
From weekly war-room meetings to testifying in D.C., Julie Robbins has spent the past year learning how to protect a creative manufacturer in a policy minefield—and how to bring employees and fans along.
There’s far more unknown than known about what happens next following the Supreme Court’s ruling. Here’s how to start figuring things out.
The Supreme Court just invalidated most of the president’s tariffs. Before you exhale, perhaps ask a few questions of your team.
Beyond the direct impact on prices, there are multiple effects anticipated on the supply chain, much like those experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s what to do.
Nearly half of the 300 CEOs surveyed polled this May also say they have already paused hiring or making major new investments in their business. ‘This is not the time to panic but to consciously refine.’
The supply chain uncertainty unleashed by the overhaul of tariff levels in the U.S. is having an immediate and direct impact on the warehousing sector.
Geopolitical conflict, trade disruption and policy whiplash have defined the first half of 2026. CEOs share where they’re putting their energy from here.
We’re making the same decisions with AI. But for leaders who ask different questions, AI changes the assignment.
In a time of AI-assisted phantom fits and miscast hires, organizations need to bring back the personal touch.
Why tomorrow’s CEOs must prepare for a world of tighter financing, fewer training grounds for talent and more consequential decisions.
‘None of these moves asks you to predict the future or bet the org chart. That’s what makes them so valuable in the face of today’s uncertainty.’
Organizations that treat connection as a metric, not a mood, may very well see the results in this age of AI, climate and societal disruption.
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1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.
